Celebrating the most iconic automobiles in history. Explore in-depth profiles of automotive legends.
In 2022 Lamborghini celebrated the V12, the legendary 12-cylinder engine that has powered its most iconic models for almost 60 years. The Diablo is one model: the first-ever Lamborghini super sports car offered in a four-wheel drive version. When it made its debut, the Diablo was so ahead of its time that it was identified … Read more
The Bentley of 2009 was a very different company to the one that launched the first Arnage models in 1998. Consistently strong investment from parent group Volkswagen AG saw a transformation in the company fortunes and morale, with the Continental GT and its related models accounting for a ten-fold increase in production volumes. Constant Evolution … Read more
When Rolls-Royce Motor Cars unveiled the Rolls-Royce Phantom in 2003, it heralded a new age for the marque, proudly reclaiming its position at the forefront of automotive design and engineering. Working to the maxim of company founder Sir Henry Royce – “Strive for perfection in everything you do” – the design and engineering teams spent … Read more
The Aston Martin DB6 was the first Aston Martin to carry the name Volante – which means “flying” in Italian. It was in fact the last thirty-seven Aston Martin DB5 chassis that were used to build the short-chassis Volantes and were completed between October 1965 and October 1966. Although clearly derived from the Aston Martin DB4 through the DB5, the new model was … Read more
Reaction to the Aston Martin V8 Vantage was predictably enthusiastic, and it certainly generated the right sort of publicity for Aston Martin, though it was the Aston Martin V8 Vantage Volante version which was the mainstay of production at Newport Pagnell. Aston Martin V8 Vantage, launched at the Birmingham Motor Show in 1992, was the second model … Read more
The M5 entered its second generation in 1988, the straight-six power unit originally displacing 3.6 and subsequently 3.8 litres, with output increasing first to 315 and then to 340 hp. Another change was that the engines no longer bore the “M” in their internal production code, but rather an “S” designating the origin of BMW … Read more
The name Continental first appeared on a Bentley in 1952 (the R Type Continental) and lives on in today’s Continental GT range. Between the two came a Bentley Continental of a different character, a coachbuilt two-door convertible. The model in the Heritage Collection retains all the glamour of the original design by Bill Allen, assistant … Read more
The first Jaguar XJ-S appeared in 1977 as a 1976 model. Power came from the Jaguar V-12 petrol engine with a choice of a manual or automatic transmission, but the manual was soon dropped. V-12 automobiles were unusual at the time, with notable others coming from Italian luxury sports car makers Lamborghini and Ferrari. The … Read more
In March 1999 a totally revised DB7 Vantage and Vantage Volante made their debut at the annual Geneva Motorshow. Building on the success of the in-line 6 cylinder DB7 the new Vantage models featured an all new 420bhp, 6.0 litre V12 engine, with a choice of 6 speed manual or 5 speed automatic gearbox. A … Read more
The Bentley Brooklands was a full-size luxury sedan introduced for 1992 as the marque’s new flagship after the Bentley Mulsanne and Bentley Eight were discontinued. The Brooklands was replaced by the Bentley Arnage in 1998 as the Bentley flagship model. The Brooklands continued Bentley’s relatively angular design scheme which was used on both, Rolls-Royce as … Read more